A Public Affair Douglas Haynes, Ali Muldrow, Carousel Bayrd, Allen Ruff, & Esty Dinur

At the peak of the movement, about 30% of Americans were evangelical Christians. About a fourth of all Americans where white evangelicals–a term we hear a lot these days when discussing Trump’s base. National Political Correspondent Sarah McCammon says that people often talk about this demographic as if it is a fridge movement rather than a huge swath of Americans.

Today, we’re talking about the growing number former evangelicals who have untangled–or deconstructed–their belief system and parted from the church as it has become politicized. Many have found solace in online communities and some call themselves “exvangelicals.” In McCammon’s new book The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church, she mixes journalism and memoir to tell a story about these adults who were once a part of the subculture, but left as they came of age in a far more interconnected world.

A Public Affair host Sara Gabler is one of these millennials who was raised with an evangelical belief system and has since deconstructed. McCammon joins Gabler to talk about The Exvangelicals. They discuss purity culture, conservative childhoods, and the vast experiences of deconstruction.



Sarah McCammon is a National Political Correspondent for NPR and co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast. Her work focuses on political, social and cultural divides in America, including abortion policy and the intersections of politics and religion. She’s also a frequent guest host for NPR news programs.

Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

The 2025 City of Madison operating budget, which funds the city’s daily operations, is facing at $27 million dollar deficit. The city is facing some tough choices as it balances the budget. Alders and city staff are hosting a number of citywide budget engagement sessions to share information about the budget and hear from residents.

A Public Affair host Douglas Haynes is joined in studio by Mayor’s Chief of Staff Sam Munger, Finance Director David Schmiedicke, and Alder Yannette Figueroa-Cole to begin to understand the budget issues, the limits of city’s power, and how much of your tax dollars truly go to the city.

The remaining session dates are as follows:

Westside – Thursday, May 16, 6pm at Vel Phillips Memorial High School

Southside/Near Westside – May 29, 5:30pm at Goodman South Library

Central – Thursday, May 30, 6pm at Madison Municipal Building or online

Northside – Wednesday, June 5, 6pm at Black Hawk Middle School

Photo by Chali Pittman/ WORT News

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

All this week, students have been camped out on Library Mall to protest Israel’s war on Palestine. They join students nation-wide who are putting pressure theirs colleges and the US government to disinvest in the war and ultimate end the genocide in Gaza.

Wednesday morning, a combined police force attempted to remove the tents and protestors. Dozens of people were arrested and several sustained injuries. Since then, the police raids have stopped and  Chancellor Mnookin has met with faculty and staff. Protestors have said they will not remove the tents until their demands are met. 

Today Dahlia Saba, Lily Zyndorf Shell, and Abbie Klein join host Esty Dinur on the show. They are all University of Wisconsin-Madison grad students who have been participating in the encampment. They discuss the demands, their experience with the police raid, and the future of the encampment.



Dahlia Saba is a first year graduate student at the UW-Madison, and she is a member of the UW Madison chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. Her father is Palestinian and was born in Gaza. She had family members in Gaza until this past week, when they were fortunately able to evacuate to Egypt.

Lily Zyndorf Shell is a PhD student at UW-Madison who has been teaching undergraduate students there as a TA and lecturer for 6 years. She grew up in New York City and is the grandchild of holocaust survivors.

Abbie Klein is a first year PhD student at UW-Madison and a member of Students for Justice and other community and university organizations which are part of the encampment, where she has been since it was set up.  She is an anti Zionist Jew raised in a Zionist family.



Photo courtesy of WORT’s Chali Pittman

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

“We got out of the business of building new nuclear weapons and we haven’t done that in a generation, but all of that is coming back. This work is already underway.” That is W.J. Hennigan speaking with A Public Affair host Allen Ruff about the trillions of US dollars that are now being invested in nuclear weapons. Hennigan is the lead author of “At The Brink” series from the New York Times. The series explores the history of the world’s nuclear powers, breaks down the outdated Cold War safeguards, and imagines what world might emerge from a nuclear war.



W.J. Hennigan is a New York Times Opinion correspondent covering the U.S. military and national security issues from Washington, D.C. He writes about the U.S. military and national security issues in Washington, D.C. He has reported from more than two dozen countries across five continents, covering war, the arms trade, and the lives of U.S. service members.

Photo by Artem Zhukov on Unsplash

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission announced a ban to noncompete agreements. Under the rule, most existing noncompetes would not be enforceable.  The ban was almost immediately challenged by U.S. Chamber of Commerce. They argue that the FTC overstepped it’s authority with the ruling.

Joining us on today’s show is Assistant Professor Evan Starr from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Starr’s research includes the use and impacts of noncompete agreements and their enforceability. He talks with host Yuri Rashkin about what the ban could mean for workers and employers.

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here

Today we spend the hour talking about wealth and income disparities with folks who are working on a solution. That solution? Putting cash in the hands of people who need it. Blake Roberts, Kathrine Cagat and Gina Stilp join host Ali Muldrow to break down the differences of universal basic income, guaranteed income and unconditional cash programs. They discuss the realities of living in poverty, the impact of having a safety net, and the truth of government subsidies.



Blake Roberts is the Program Manager for Madison Forward Fund. The Madison Forward Fund is a guaranteed income program that gives a monthly, non-strings attached payment to households for one year. 

Kathrine Cagat is the Research and Program Manager for Mayors for Guaranteed Income (MGI) and Counties for a Guaranteed Income (CGI). MGI is a network of mayors advocating for a guaranteed income to ensure that all Americans have an income floor.

Gina Stilp is Executive Director of the Zilber Family Foundation. The foundation is a private, independent grantmaking institution. They are now accepting applications for Milwaukee’s first unconditional cash program: The Bridge Project.

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here